I'm Looking Through You was inspired by a disagreement between Paul McCartney and Jane Asher, and was written at her family home in Wimpole Street, London, where McCartney had his own room in which to compose and sleep.

I wrote quite a lot of stuff up in that room actually. I'm Looking Through You I seem to remember after an argument with Jane. There were a few of those moments.

As is one's wont in relationships, you will from time to time argue or not see eye to eye on things, and a couple of the songs around this period were that kind of thing. This one I remember particularly as me being disillusioned over her commitment. She went down to the Bristol Old Vic quite a lot around this time. Suffice to say that this one was probably related to that romantic episode and I was seeing through her façade. And realising that it wasn't quite all that it seemed. I would write it out in a song and then I've got rid of the emotion. I don't hold grudges so that gets rid of that little bit of emotional baggage. I remember specifically this one being about that, getting rid of some emotional baggage. 'I'm looking through you, and you're not there!'

Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles

In his 1968 authorised biography of The Beatles, Hunter Davies recorded McCartney's thoughts while he and Asher were still together. McCartney alluded to the fact that he found it hard to commit to one person, though acknowledged that his harsh words in song were inspired by hurt.

My whole existence for so long centred around a bachelor life. I didn't treat women as most people do. I've always had a lot around, even when I've had a steady girl. My life generally has always been very lax, and not normal.

I knew it was selfish. It caused a few rows. Jane left me once and went off to Bristol to act. I said OK then, leave, I'll find someone else. It was shattering to be without her.

Paul McCartney
The Beatles, Hunter Davies

In the studio

The Beatles first attempted to record I'm Looking Through You on 24 October 1965. They spent nine hours perfecting the song; onto the rhythm track, recorded in a single take, they overdubbed lead and backing vocals, handclaps, maracas, organ and electric guitar.

This first version was released in 1996 on Anthology 2. Aside from different instrumentation, it lacked the 'Why, tell me why' section, was slower than the final version, and contained two bluesy instrumental passages.

The group remade the song on 6 November, recording a faster version in two takes. However, it wasn't until 10 November that they hit upon the final arrangement used on Rubber Soul.

The Beatles recorded the rhythm track in one take, and later overdubbed vocals and an organ, the latter played by Ringo Starr. Ringo also created a percussive sound by tapping a box of matches with his fingers. The song was completed the following day with vocals and handclaps.

I guess he got bored with the drums! 🙂 No really….I think this is one of those Paul “One-man band” songs in which Macca played all of the instruments. I think Ringo playing the organ was something Paul did to keep Ringo from pouting! 🙂

That’s always mystified me, too (the decision to employ Ringo on organ). Even if John or Paul were unavailable (for whatever reason), surely George Martin would’ve been the most likely candidate? Weird. Maybe none of them could master that (l)one chord that Ringo plays throughout!

Another thing: Both the organ and the lead guitar have a pretty distorted tone. I wonder if they used the same fuzzbox that Paul used for “Think For Yourself”?

I must say that I doubt that Ringo plays the organ on this song. I cannot hear any trace of an organ sound on the song. It is supposed to be played on the same channel as the lead guitar.
I think that this is an internal Beatles hoax. They did some things like this because they thought that people were taking things to seriously. So I think that they just added that line saying Ringo plays the organ, and then they had a laugh.
Maybe Ringo sat at the organ or even played something on it. But i don’t think is was ever recorded, I think it is very inaudible on the record. On the CD you hear even better.

Hm, I’m pretty sure that is an organ (Lowrey?) in there accompanying the guitar. It sounds just like a single two-or-three finger chord, really screechy and distorted – possibly played through a fuzzbox? Very close to John Cale’s “Sister Ray” tone, 2 years ahead of time.

Okay, I’ve listened again and that’s definitely an organ in there, far right channel, same as the electric guitar. Just two quick staccato stabs doubling the guitar lick that recurs throughout the song. Listen to the earlier “Anthology 2” version to better hear the organ part: It’s the same, yet with a totally dissimilar, clean tone, and the guitar part is completely different. (Also, I think the organ (or organs?) may be something other than a Hammond, but I’m far from certain.)

The organ is very clearly there, and easy to pick out. It’s at the end of the verses, along with the lead guitar. You can clearly hear the organ after ” I’m looking through you . you’r not the same ” THe organ is ONE chord, and its played twice in a row three times, the first strike of the organ is played on the word SAME..

I often wonder whether this song sowed one more of the seeds of the break up.

Norman Smith’s comments about how he sensed a dramatic shift apart in The Beatles between Help and Rubber Soul got me thinking this.

The others hated the multiple takes on Obladi Oblada and I suspect that didn’t come out of nowhere.

Despite the huge volume of books about the breakup of The Beatles, I don’t think there’s yet been one that really does a good job. All seem to basically start with The White Album & Yoko but I think 1965 is a far better place to start (if not earlier) – LSD, Yesterday, and comments like Norman Smith’s.

This is an interesting observation. John once said The Beatles broke up because of boredom, and when one examines their “studio years”, it’s easy to see how this could happen, and over time how these situations magnified.

Writing and rehearsing in the studio leads to a lot of downtime for the non-participants while the principals decide what it is they ultimately want. The Hunter Davies biography mentions the time when the other three thought they needed Ringo for some work, only to call him a little later to tell him not to come in, after he had prepared to do so.

Ringo also said he learned to play chess during the Sgt. Pepper sessions because of the amount of overdubs that were done that didn’t require his services. Add in Paul’s increasing penchant for doing dozens of takes while George was getting almost no time to do his songs, and John’s growing disinterest for being a Beatle, it’s a wonder the group lasted until 1970.

wow u guys just don’t like Ringo. he plays piano. so why not use him to overdub ONE chord on an organ. George is playin a Burns bass and Paul is playin acoustic and probably the overdubbed lead. John’s most likely on the tambourine. these were talented guys. why couldn’t they play other instruments other than what they were known for. George admitted to playin on a lot of songs. He had a Burns bass like I said. There’s a pic of him playin in durin the Paperback Writer sessions.

I think I´ve heard somewhere that “End of the line” by the Travelling Wilburys starts with the same acoustic guitar chords as here, so it might be George who plays it, while Paul plays bass and lead guitars, Ringo plays drums and organ (which it means that only the two of them were recording overdubs) and John plays tambourine (I´m not sure). Is John singing low harmonies or is Paul overdubbing vocals?

Here’s a fun alternate interpretation: it’s a stealth song about being around sober people when you’re on drugs.

The key is to change how you parse “you’re not the same”. The usual interpretation is “you’re not the same [as you were before]”. The alternate interpretation is “you’re not the same [as me]”. This is followed by ‘alarm bells’ (the guitar). These ‘alarms’ evoke the paranoia which one often feels around sober people when one is high on marijuana.

Many of the other lyrics fit this alternate interpretation almost frighteningly well. “I thought I knew you, what did I know (I was sober then)”. “You don’t look different but you have changed (my perceptions of you have changed)”. “Your lips are moving etc.”, I don’t need to even explain that one. “You’re thinking of me the same old (sober) way”. “You were above me, but not today (because today I’m high)”.

The biggest flaw is the ‘Why tell me why’ parts don’t fit at all. Which is why when I read this article and saw those parts were originally absent, I grinned a real big grin. “I’m looking through you and you’re nowhere” is another possible clash, but I like to assume that’s just a reference to “Nowhere Man” on the same album (compare the Ob-La-Di-Bla-Da reference on Savoy Truffle).

Superb track… Sounds suspiciously like paul played most of the instruments on the version on ‘rubber soul’, the tougher sounding version on ‘anthology2’ feels more like a band performance and i actually prefer it.

Incorrect. As has been mentioned in the first post. The basic rhythm track played live consists of drums, bass, acoustic guitar, tambourine. I guess we all agree that it’s Paul on the bass so most probably John is on the acoustic and George on tambourine. Notice the same line up as We Can Work It Out basic track.

I agree too. John tended to do clawhammer on acoustics, and Paul had that lighter more articulate strummed touch- If they did this live, then It must have been john, but if it was overdubbed, then I’d say paul. It’s his acoustic style. Listen to the intro.

Paul McCartney’s very pointed message to Jane Asher. Unlike John Lennon, McCartney is not nearly as obviously autobiographical. But on this one he is. Great lyrics. Off the wonderful “Rubber Soul” album.One hell of a good song.

Guitar sounds quite high. High capo placement? John was a careful guitarist quite nimble (have a look at him in Let It Be film)… but it doesn’t seem his style in this song… I just feel it – happy to be proven wrong. When Paul wrote it, it would’ve been on guitar, why hand it over to John?
Also, organ is obvious after the words ‘You’re not the same’, regardless who plays it.

key thing is figuring out what acoustic guitar was used. Obviously paul being a lefty its quite glaring in that he would only have been able to use his Epi Texan whereas john used the Gibson which was an electro acoustic and miked from the amp (doesn’t sound like a real acoustic). Similarly when George played bass on a few tracks its clear because he had to play the right handed Fender VI bass. Id say its john, its a relatively easy part which I don’t see why hed have any trouble getting in less than an hour.

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